The annual Padua Academy blood drive collected 34 units on Tuesday, March 3, providing an early boost to Blood Bank of Delmarva’s collections for the month.
Padua Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Wilmington, DE holds its blood drive each March during Women’s History Month. The event is organized by members of the school’s National Honor Society, who recruit donors, volunteer in the café, and donate blood themselves.
“The girls have been great. They’ve really been promoting the blood drive with their classmates and homerooms,” said Dr. Colleen Hall, advisor to Padua’s National Honor Society. “Our students run a student-led TV production, and our volunteers created announcements and graphics. They’ve handled all the promotion to encourage participation.”
Hall also praised BBD Account Manager Gia Rivera and the collections staff for their professionalism and customer service. Padua was also pleased to welcome back BBD Supervisor of Collections Lexi Moore, a 2002 Padua graduate.
Rivera added that BBD is holding a sweepstakes across recent high school blood drives at Padua Academy, Ursuline Academy in late February, and Salesianum School on March 11. After the Salesianum drive, one participant will be selected to receive a ticket to SALSTHON—Students About Life Saving. Over the past 15 years, students from Salesianum, Padua, and Ursuline have raised more than $2 million for local nonprofit organizations.